CHAPTER 16
2762 Words
Hinila ni Xander ang drawer, mabilis pero kontrolado. Kinuha ang phone, dialed a number without hesitation.
“Luis. Check War Room. Right now. Scrub all angles from the last six hours. I want thermal scans on the east wing. And I want Denise informed—now.”
His voice was low. Precise. Dangerous.
Walang tanong si Luis. Just a crisp “Copy, sir.”
Then the line went dead.
Within seconds, the energy in the room shifted—parang binuhay ng isang utos ang buong sistema. Somewhere in the mansion, techs were already moving. Systems were lighting up. Protocols activating.
Pero ako?
I stood frozen sa gitna ng kwarto, heart hammering in my chest, trying to piece it all together.
What the hell just happened?
“Xander…” I whispered, barely able to keep the tremble out of my voice.
Hindi siya agad sumagot.
He was already pulling on a black shirt, sleeves still unrolled, eyes darting toward the window like he could see threats that I couldn’t.
I stepped toward him, confusion and panic warring inside me.
“What’s going on? Bakit parang—”
"Get dressed."
His voice was quiet—but urgent. No room for argument.
He grabbed a shirt and shorts from his drawer, walked over, and inabot sa akin. “Wear these. Now.”
Napatingin ako sa damit. Plain gray shirt. Soft cotton shorts. Familiar—kasi sa kanya.
“Xander…”
“I need you dressed in two minutes,” he cut me off, eyes meeting mine for the first time since the call. “After that, I’m not leaving you alone, Cassie. So either you get changed now or I do it for you.”
My mouth opened. Closed. No words came.
Because the look in his eyes?
Wasn't just protective.
It was lethal.
Like something had flipped a switch inside him.
He wasn't just the man who kissed me under the stars.
He was the man who built empires, dismantled enemies, and moved shadows without anyone noticing.
“What’s happening?” I asked again, quieter now. “Is someone… here?”
His jaw clenched.
“I don’t know yet. That’s what worries me.”
And just like that, the air thinned.
A different kind of silence fell over the room—heavier, darker.
He stepped toward me, reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, but his hand hovered before it landed. As if unsure if it was still allowed to touch me like that.
“Cassie, please,” he said, softer this time. “Just put the damn clothes on.”
And that word—please—it wasn’t something Xander Madrigal used lightly.
I nodded silently, took the clothes from his hands, and walked toward the bathroom to change. My legs felt like jelly, but something in his tone grounded me. Made me move.
As I shut the door behind me, I could hear him pacing.
The sound of drawers opening. Something metal being loaded.
A click of a hidden safe.
My fingers shook as I changed, the cotton of his shirt brushing against my skin like a second layer of him—his scent, his fear, his control all wrapped around me.
This wasn’t just some security drill.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
And the scariest part?
Xander knew exactly what it was.
I just didn’t yet.
And somehow, that made everything feel a thousand times more terrifying.
Minutes later, War Room – Basement level, Madrigal Estate
Puno ng tensyon ang silid.
LED monitors lit up every wall, blinking with red-highlighted footage, drone surveillance, thermal imaging, live feeds from the estate’s perimeter. The room smelled of metal, cold coffee, and rising panic.
Luis sat in front of three keyboards, fingers flying, while two more security personnel scrubbed through feeds at lightning speed. Denise stood at the center—arms behind her back, stance military, earpiece secured, her face carved from stone.
“Thermals detected an anomaly in the perimeter,” Denise said, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife. “South garden. May movement between 2:37 and 2:44 AM. Unidentified. Erratic pacing.”
“Zoom in. Infrared view,” utos ni Xander, now in full command mode—shirt half-buttoned, jaw clenched, eyes deadly focused.
Lumabas sa screen ang grainy infrared footage. A figure moved between shadows. Halos kasing-laki ko. Maliksi. May hawak sa kamay—maliit. Parang box.
Luis enhanced the image.
Cam rig.
“s**t,” bulong ni Monique habang nagmamadaling pumasok, suot pa ang night robe at messy ponytail. “That’s a long-range, low-light camera. May lens hood. Professional yan.”
“May footage kaya silang nakuha?” tanong ko, my voice thinner than I meant it to be. My throat was tight. My palms cold.
No one answered.
Even Xander didn’t say a word.
Then—Luis cursed. “f**k. We’re too late.”
“What?” Xander demanded.
Luis turned one monitor to us and clicked open a browser window. “Check this out. Twitter. Live feed. Trending in real-time.”
The screen loaded.
#FirstDaughterScandal
#MadrigalNights
#PresidentialPrivilegeOrPleasure?
Parang tinamaan ako ng kidlat sa dibdib.
Monique covered her mouth. “Oh my God…”
Luis clicked the top trending post.
And there it was.
The leaked video.
CCTV angle. High-quality. Color-corrected. Stabilized.
Me—nakatalukbong ng kumot, hair spilling over my shoulder, my bare back partly exposed beneath the silk sheets.
Xander—beside me, shirtless, one arm around me protectively, lips grazing my forehead as we slept.
Timestamp: 03:07 AM
Caption:
“EXCLUSIVE: First Daughter in billionaire Xan Madrigal’s bed. Inside the estate. Inside the scandal. #FirstDaughterScandal”
The comments were brutal.
“Pambansang kabit!”
“Anak ng presidente, bastos din pala.”
“Power + s*x = corruption. Classic.”
“My tax goes to their pillow talk? Wow.”
“Plot twist: ginamit lang ni Cassie si Xan para makalabas ng Palasyo.”
My chest caved in.
The air thickened around me.
Ang ingay sa screen, pero sa loob ng War Room? Nakakabinging katahimikan.
Walang gumalaw. Walang nagsalita.
Maliban sa tunog ng hingang pabigat nang pabigat mula sa’kin—at pagkapunit ng tiwala sa sarili ko, unti-unti.
Hindi man kita ang mukha ko sa video…
Pero ako ‘yon.
Alam ko sa ayos ng buhok. Sa pagkakahiga. Sa kung paanong niyakap ako ni Xander.
Ramdam ko sa buong katawan ko na ako ang laman ng eksenang iyon.
Parang may sumabog na salamin sa dibdib ko.
Then—
RIIIIING.
The War Room phone rang.
Red light blinking.
PRIVATE LINE – MALACAÑANG.
I froze. My heart stopped.
Luis looked at me, grave. “You need to answer that.”
Xander stepped beside me, his face unreadable but his hand grazed my back, grounding me. “It’s them,” he said quietly.
Tumango ako. Pinaglalabanan ang uhaw sa lalamunan at panlalamig ng mga kamay ko.
I stepped forward.
One breath.
Then I picked up the receiver.
“Hello?” my voice cracked.
There was static—then Camille’s sharp voice pierced through like a blade:
“Cassandra Villareal. What. Have. You. Done?”
The fallout had begun.
And I wasn’t sure I’d survive it.
Hindi na kailangang sabihin kung sino.
Boses ni Papa. Matigas. Walang emosyon. Isang tono lang pero parang tinaga sa bato ang bawat salita.
“Dad—”
“You are to come home immediately. The Presidential convoy is on its way. You will leave with the security team. This ends today.”
“Wait—Dad, please—”
“Walang ‘please.’” The sharpness in his voice made me flinch. “This isn’t up for debate. Be ready in one hour.”
Click.
Dead air.
Walang pasabi. Walang goodbye. Walang kahit ano.
Parang may sumabog sa dibdib ko. Napakapit ako sa mesa habang nanginginig ang buong katawan.
Napatingin ako kay Xander—nakatayo pa rin siya sa gilid, still, quiet. But his eyes… his eyes were blazing.
Guilt. Frustration. Fear. Pain.
He didn’t say anything.
And maybe he didn’t need to.
Because I saw it in his expression—he wanted to protect me. He just didn’t know how.
“He’s sending a plane…” bulong ko, halos hindi ko na marinig sarili ko. “Ayaw na niya akong marinig. Ayaw na niya akong makita…”
Sunod-sunod na hingal. Sumikip ang dibdib ko.
I dropped to my knees, bagsak sa carpet, para akong hinihigop ng bigat ng mundo.
Pagod.
Galit.
Takot.
Monique was instantly beside me, crouching, her voice panicked but gentle. “Cassie—breathe, okay? Please. It’s okay—”
“Hindi!” I shouted, voice raw. “It’s not okay, Monique! I was just asleep beside him! Bakit parang ginawa ko ang pinakamasamang krimen sa mundo?!”
Tears spilled again—uncontrolled, burning.
Xander moved.
Tahimik.
Determinado.
He knelt in front of me. Hindi ko alam kung anong nakita niya sa mga mata ko, pero hindi siya umatras. Lumapit pa siya.
“Cassie…”
His voice was low, cracked, like he was barely holding it together too.
I looked at him—ang lalaking hinalikan ko sa dilim, ang lalaking tumanggap ng lahat ng sugat ko, ang lalaking tinakasan ko ang buong mundo para makasama.
And now? Now I was being punished for it.
“What do I do?” I whispered. “Tell me, Xander… what do I do now?”
He reached for me. Hinawakan niya ang mukha ko. Mahigpit pero maingat. Thumb brushing the tears under my eyes.
“You hold your head up,” he said slowly, every word deliberate. “You don’t run. And if you have to leave—then we make them listen.”
Napalunok ako. Ang puso ko, sumisigaw ng sana tama ‘to. Sana may laban pa ‘to.
“You’d come with me?”
Tahimik.
Isang segundo.
Dalawa.
Tatlo.
At sa bawat segundo, naramdaman ko ang pag-asa kong unti-unting nabibitawan.
“…No.” he said finally, his voice almost breaking. “Not yet. But I’ll fight for you. I swear. I won’t let this be the end.”
My throat burned. “I don’t want to go home.”
“Then don’t go home.” he said. “Go back stronger. Don’t let them paint your story. You tell it. On your terms.”
Tahimik lang kami for a moment.
Sa paligid namin, ramdam ko ang mundo—yung alarms sa security panels, ang click ng mga keyboard, ang pag-ikot ng mga camera sa monitors.
Pero dito sa gitna ng War Room?
Walang pulitika.
Walang security protocol.
Walang scandal.
Just him. And me.
Xander reached forward and pulled me into his chest.
Both arms wrapped around me like a fortress. A vow. A promise.
And for a moment—kahit sandali lang—bumagal ulit ang mundo.
I rested my head against his shoulder, my fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt. Pinapakinggan ko ang t***k ng puso niya, sinasalo ang lakas na ibinibigay niya kahit sabog na rin siya sa loob.
“You’re not alone, Cassie,” he whispered into my hair. “You never were.”
And in that space between heartbreak and defiance…
My heart still beat for him.
Kahit durog.
Kahit gulo.
Kahit hindi sigurado ang bukas.
He was my clarity in the chaos.
And I wasn’t done fighting, either.
BEEP. BEEP.
Luis’ phone lit up with a red alert notification.
“News is spreading—local and international media picked it up. It’s on cable already,” bulong niya.
Then another ping.
This time… si Trixie ang tumawag.
Xander answered. “It’s for you,” he said, passing it to me.
“Cass, oh my God—nasa TV ka na! Frontline news. They just flashed a clip of the video. And your mom—she was watching. Live. Sa Palace!”
Tumigil ang mundo ko.
“Cassie…”
Humina ang boses ni Trixie.
“…your mom collapsed.”
Biglang sumikip ang dibdib ko.
“Inaakyat na siya sa private clinic. Blood pressure spike daw. She passed out in front of the Press Secretary.”
“Wait, what?! Is she okay?!” tumayo ako bigla, nanginginig ang kamay, kinabahan ang boses.
“Hindi pa alam. They're running tests. Your dad’s not answering any more calls. They’re blaming this on you.”
“Put the car out front,” utos ni Xander bigla kay Luis. “Ready a convoy. We’re heading to Manila—now.”
Pero hindi ako gumalaw.
Parang napako ako sa sahig.
My mother.
My mother collapsed… because of me.
And yet—
May parte sa akin na hindi nagsisisi sa lahat ng nangyari kagabi. Dahil, for once, I chose something for me.
Xander walked back to me. “I’ll fix this. I’ll protect you.”
I shook my head, slowly.
“No, Xander…”
I took a deep breath, shoulders trembling, but voice steady.
“I’m done hiding.”
His eyes narrowed. “Cassie—”
“I’m not ashamed of us. And if the world wants to see me as some spoiled scandal princess, then fine—let them look. But I’m not running. Not from this.”
Napakapit siya sa bewang ko, eyes full of both fear and awe.
“You’re going to war,” he said quietly.
I nodded. “Then I better show up in armor.”
The War Room was in full chaos.
Monitors flashing. Phones ringing. Security feeds updating every three seconds. The hum of panic was everywhere.
And at the center of it all—Xander.
Wearing nothing but a shirt, pants, and that deadly calm expression na mas nakakatakot kaysa sa galit.
“Luis, initiate mass report protocol. AI-ping the top 100 sites. Flag everything with Madrigal, Cassie, and ‘First Daughter’ keywords,” he barked.
Luis was typing like mad. “Copy. Deploying scrub teams now. We’ve already taken down 20 reposts on Twitter—pero mabilis sila, boss. Reddit and t****k are gaining traction.”
“Target origin first,” Xander ordered. “Hanapin ang IP address ng nag-upload. If we find the source, we end the spread at the root.”
I sat beside him, tahimik.
Pero sa ilalim ng mesa, magkadikit ang tuhod namin. Magkahawak ang kamay namin—mahigpit. Parang ‘yon lang ang bumubuo sa’kin habang gumuguho ang mundo ko sa labas.
My mom fainted.
My dad wanted me dragged back to the Palace.
And my name?
Sobrang dali nilang wasakin. Parang hindi nila ako kilala.
Monique came in, pale, holding a tablet.
“GMA picked it up. ANC. CNN Philippines. Even Rappler. Headline is: First Daughter’s Affair Exposed in Leaked Bedroom Video.” Napatingin siya sa’kin. “They’re showing your back, Cassie. And the blanket… and his arm around you.”
Napasinghap ako.
Xander leaned forward, grabbed the tablet, and slammed it screen-down sa mesa.
“Track the journalist who first posted that footage,” utos niya. “I don’t care if we have to send a legal team to every fcking newsroom in the country.”
“Yes, boss,” Luis said, already making calls.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Xander… this is going to destroy your reputation too.”
He looked at me—slow, intense.
“I don’t give a damn about my reputation,” he said. “But I care about you.”
My heart cracked open again.
“Then let me help,” I whispered.
He blinked. “Cassie—”
“I’m not hiding behind your firewall,” I said firmly. “I’m standing beside you.”
And I did.
Tumayo ako.
Humarap sa screen kung saan nakita ko ang sarili ko—nasa kama, nakaunan sa dibdib niya, mukha kong kalmado, vulnerable.
Pero ngayon?
Ngayon, kaya ko na silang harapin.
“You want to destroy me?” I whispered, parang kinakausap ang camera. “Good luck.”
Meanwhile, on the screens...
Luis barked, “Got something. IP trace from outside Batangas. VPN masked, but rerouted sa isang media handler.”
Xander’s jaw locked. “Senator Yulo.”
Everyone froze.
Monique whispered, “That bastard set her up.”
Luis cursed. “Confirmed. Server pings match a known Yulo-affiliated PR firm.”
Xander stood up so fast, the chair scraped backward. His fury was palpable.
“Then this is war.”
He looked at me. “And you—you stay with me. Hindi ka na lalayo.”
I nodded.
Because right now, the safest place was not the Palace.
It was right here.
In the center of the storm.
Beside the man who would burn the world for me.
- Writer
